April 2010

Regional Economic Summit

By
A Network of Tristate Economic Development Agencies (ANTEDA)

Planning Paper

February 10, 2010

This planning paper outlines the preparation of a regional gathering focused on identifying common
economic opportunities and the collaborations needed to pursue them. The region includes 26
counties of Southeast Illinois, Southwest Indiana and Northwest Kentucky. The gathering, which will be
held in April 2010, will include executive directors of economic development organizations, as well as
each organization’s champions and their civic and government leaders.
Case Statement: The region continues to lag the world and the U.S. economy in key
metrics of economic prosperity. Competing globally requires us to
collaborate regionally. By working together in open innovation networks,
we can pursue common opportunities and address common challenges
more quickly and effectively. Expanded collaborations will improve the
region’s attractiveness to business investment. Stronger regional
networks will help businesses respond faster to the shifting world of
global competition.
A forum is needed to:
First, identify our best opportunities for collabroation (“Strategic Focus
Areas”);
Second, draft a clear and simple strategic action plan to implement
initiatives within these focus areas (“Strategic Doing”);
Third, establish the desired conclusions (“Strategic Outcomes”) and the
measurement by which we know they have been accomplished
(“Strategic Metrics”); and,
Finally, identify the process and governance for keeping initiatives on
track and focused. (“Strategic Collaboration”).

1. Event Details
a. Date & Time: April 13, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
b. Location: Technical Center, Lynch Road, Evansville, IN
c. Agenda:
i. 09:30 – 10:00 a.m. - Registration/Networking
ii. 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. - Welcome, Introductions and Orientation
iii. 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. - Workshop 1: Link and Leverage Assets, Identify
Opportunities
iv. 11:15 – 11:30 a.m. – Overview of Workshop Exercise 2
v. 11:30 – 01:00 p.m. – Complete Workshop Exercise 2
vi. 01:00 – 01:30 p.m. – Workshop Exercises 3 and 4
vii. 01:30 – 02:00 p.m. – Internet Workspace Orientation and Next Steps
d. Focus Allocation of Event’s Time
i. 30% - Assets and Linkages
ii. 60% - Outcomes
iii. 10% - “What will we do?”

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Network of Tri-State Economic Development Agencies

2. Anticipated Strategic Focus Areas

a. Regional Logistics
i. I-69 and Connecting Highways
ii. Airports
iii. Rail
iv. Intermodal Connectivity
b. Innovation
i. Sustainable Energy
ii. Viability of Coal as Continued Low-Cost Source of Energy
iii. Manufacturing
c. Talent
i. Region’s Universities’ Strategy of
1. Educating the Next Generation’s Workforce
2. Locus of Research, Innovation and Studies That Inspires and
Guides the Region in Economic Development

3. Meeting Environment
a. Round Tables for Each Strategic Focus – Each Focus Table has:
i. Recorder –
1. Capturing essence of dialogue
2. Immediately blogging information, insights and conclusions to
website
3. Requires: laptop, internet access & trained person
ii. Knowledge Capturer –
1. Listens in and complete Strategic Doing pack
2. Requires ability to discern important information, ability to keep
up with conversation, and has reasonably legible handwriting
iii. Table Manager (“Facilitator”?)
1. A person from our Core Group
2. Will need prior training
b. Key Operating Philosophies During Session
i. Concentrate on “outcome” rather than “vision”
ii. Table Manager needs to keep the conversations focused on the task
iii. Keep the focus on the workbook exercises
iv. Mandate participation by each attendee
v. Do not be distracted by the “nay-sayers”
c. Tables spread out

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d. Lunch brought in at noon and eaten while table continues to work

4. Event Marketing
a. Personal Solicitation: Each economic development agency’s Executive
Director will be personally solicited.
b. www.regionaleconomicsummit.com: Current website updated to include all
information of April event
c. Blogging: Blog site adapted from website
d. Web 2.0: Facebook and Twitter account to promote

5. Pre-Reads
a. Economic studies being summarized by Dr. Khayum will be placed on the
website
b. “Strategic Doing” exercise placed on website for each participant’s review
prior to the meeting

6. Core Team – The Original Planning Committee of 2008 Regional Economic Summit
a. Kevin Sheilley
b. Nick Brake
c. Brandi Stennett
d. Greg Wathen
e. Matt Meadors
f. Jim McKinney
g. Saundra Hadley

7. Strategic Doing – Guiding Open Innovation Networks

a. What could we do together?
b. When will we get together?
c. What should we do together?
d. What will we do together?

8. Regional Market Studies

a. Dr. Khayum has been provided reasonably current studies undertaken
throughout the 26 county region. He’s assembling a summarization to better
understand the current environment.
b. This summarization may become part of the pre-read to the event.

9. Structure of the Innovative Network Halo

a. Core Team (Defined Above)

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b. Staff (To Be Determined)

c. Fiscal Agent (To Be Understood)
d. Advisors (To Be Determined)
e. Governance by Defined Strategic Doing Packs
i. Strategic Focus Areas – with Responsible Team
ii. Strategic Outcomes
iii. Characteristics of Outcome that Can Be Measured
iv. Initiatives or Project
v. Defined Action Steps with Owner and Anticipated Completion Dates
vi. Metrics to Measure and Determine Success

Action Steps: (as of February 12, 2010):

1. Solidifying Strategic Focus Areas
a. Regional Logistics
b. Innovation
c. Talent
2. Determine key people for the Meeting
a. Recorders (3)
b. Knowledge Capturers (3)
c. Table Manager/Facilitator (3)
3. Invite attendees
4. Determine date for Facilitator training with Ed Morrison
5. Event Marketing
6. Event Logistics
7. Pre-Reads
a. Developed and prepared
b. Dissemination
8. Determine the Structure and key people for the Network Halo
9. Plan out next steps: next Network Meeting date, next steps for continuing project